In many instances, applications and use of polyester, polyester/spandex polyester/cotton and cotton fibrous structures or fabrics and articles made from these fabrics thereof require improvements in softness, moisture absorption and moisture transport, as well as antistatic protection over that provided by the original fibrous structures, produced from these polyester fibers/polyester fiber blends, to support the performance demands of final products manufactured from these structures. Such products that include but not limited to various garments, bed sheets, towels, etc. are typically characterized by their softness, their ability to absorb and transport moisture and the efficient dissipation of electrostatic charges, all of which determines comfort of wear and use. These properties can be probed by any number of analytical tests (ring softness test, contact angle with water or other appropriate liquids, absorption times, vertical wicking, surface resistance/resistivity, etc.) that allow the characterization of the advanced moisture management, softness and antistatic protection of the fibrous structures/fabrics. Such techniques provide a direct indication of the degree of advanced moisture management, softness and antistatic protection of the fibrous structures/fabrics, and with increasing in moisture absorption and transport rates and quick dissipation of electrostatic charges and improved softness, directly relate to a range of end use properties in the fabric, ranging from improved wear comfort and moisture management in advanced sports apparel to improved moisture absorption, softness and bulk in bed sheets and towels. Such treated polyester, polyester/spandex polyester/cotton and cotton fabrics and corresponding articles made from these fabrics thereof have significantly enhanced utility in a wide range of applications, ranging from, but not limited to, advanced sports apparel such as golf shirts, tennis shirts, various athletic compression shirts, conventional garments, bed sheets, covers, etc., and terrycloth towels. While there has been considerable activity in this area in the past, products previously developed have not been able to efficiently provide the advanced moisture management, together with the high level of antistatic protection and softness, required by most of these applications.
Much of the early work in this area covered the use of cationic or silicone surfactants based softeners during various stages of household or commercial laundering cycles. Examples of recently patented technologies in this area include the following:                U.S. Pat. No. 7,402,555 Compositions useful as fabric softeners        U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,683 related to laundry additive sachets. The sachets comprise at least two compartments and may comprise further compartments. At least one of the compartments comprises a liquid laundry additive composition.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,196,048 relates to anti-wrinkle fabric treatment compositions comprising: a) from about 0.01% to about 20% by weight, of a cationic silicone polymer or copolymer having the formula: [CAP]-Zm-[CAP] wherein each Z unit comprises at least one secondary, tertiary, or quaternary amino moiety, or mixtures thereof; [CAP] is a backbone termination or truncation unit; m is from 1 to 50. b) from about 1% to about 30% by weight, of a scavenger effective in scavenging compounds comprising an anionic unit; and c) the balance a carrier system.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,680 Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,565 Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,621 Coating compositions, methods and articles of manufacture comprising a nanoparticle system employing same to impart surface modifying benefits for all types of soft surfaces, and in some cases, hard surfaces, are disclosed. In some embodiments, dispersement of nanoparticles in a suitable carrier medium allows for the creation of coating compositions, methods and articles of manufacture that create multi-use benefits to the modified surfaces.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,091,171 Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing.        U.S. Pat. No. 7,056,877 Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing.        
Typically such prior art laundry additives are based on either silicone surfactants or cationic softeners which do not provide complex simultaneously combined functionalities of advanced moisture management, softness and antistatic protection.